Keen Lassitude
by Anesther
Summary: An experiment in kissing. [Odin x Ava]


**AN: I might put up all my stuff on here finally.**

* * *

Odin glances about the darkening space, a second sun descending after the first, rays setting the sky on fire. He settles on the ground, slouching slightly, stretching out his legs.

Craning his head back, Odin blinks hard several times until his eyes tear up. They've felt too dry lately; maybe from not sleeping much. He has been enveloping himself, too, with more smoke than before, trying to suffocate on the death flower, attempting to block out his demon, which has become more persistent.

It's all her fault.

He found the girl he briefly knew stained with blue, looking very much unlike herself but there was no mistaking who she was. He'd never met anyone like her before.

He still called her Ava.

She didn't use his name at all.

Odin didn't mind or care—she was no longer human, and, therefore, a potential danger. For the most part, she has been calm, his family keeping their distance, wary of strangers who had power, and the other hosts simply didn't want to know much about her.

Ava often bothered him. And by bother he means flirt.

It was the strangest thing he'd ever experienced.

Odin Arrow judges people easily. He has no qualms over this aspect of his personality, calling out what he sees and that's the end of it. This new Ava is not someone he wants to be particularly close to, even if she might be the same underneath this new appearance.

She'd seem to take a liking to him, however, often going near to him—their shoulders rubbing the other's, the back of her hand warm against his, though he's never felt her skin. The advances were small yet frequent, and while he didn't loathe it, he didn't like it either. He was indifferent to her.

But his demon wasn't.

Dragonflies often flit around his skull, thin bodies scathing over his scalp, his tension borne from disgust. Pedri was constantly speaking now, resonating deeply inside his mind, pushing him to speak with Ava _or else._

He knows what lies behind the threat, but Odin, at the moment, only wants to diffuse his demon's presence. Pulling out the pipe, Odin lights up the bowl, the smell rising up immediately. His eyes sting again.

Eventually, there's only smoke curling around him, acidic in his mouth, heavy when it nears the back of his throat, trapped clouds; he briefly thinks of TITAN and the stars _supposedly_ in that gaping maw. Blowing out the smoke, Odin glances over his shoulder. Just her. He turns his attention forward, not caring.

"Hey," she states.

Odin tilts his head in her direction, barely acknowledging her.

"Let me have some of that,"

He exhales plumes, raising a brow, "Nah,"

"I insist,"

"I desist."

Crossing her arms, Ava sneers at him as he continues to chew on the mouthpiece, smoke pungent in her nose, a wash of memories coming to mind with various thoughts and situations.

"I'll give you something in return for one inhale,"

Odin snorts, "Y-You've nothing I want,"

"Well, how about a kiss?"

Turning to stare at her, Odin parts his mouth, leaning closer until she's inches from his face. He exhales, fumes engulfing them, "N-No."

Ava props her chin in a palm, grinning up at him, twin suns scorching his skin. He shifts uncomfortably.

"You've never kissed someone, have you?"

Odin shrugs, a light blush spreading across his cheeks, annoyed, "I d-don't think it's any of your business."

"You're blushing,"

"It doesn't mean y-you're right,"

Ava blinks, "So you have?"

He glares at her, repeating, "It's n-not any of your business,"

"Are you embarrassed that you never have?"

Sighing petulantly, Odin wonders if he could throw the ashes from his pipe into her face. It probably wouldn't do much, but this is cumbersome.

"Why a-are you so interested in my love life a-anyway?"

Ava isn't sure.

There are moments where she remembers touches that aren't hers, skin she's never felt, and it points to him. There had been a time where the thought of losing _someone_ made her angry, though she'd never been with anyone in her life. The memories hang over her head, cobwebs lightly dusting her thoughts; they _stick._

There is no way of knowing why she's drawn to him. But it happens when he breathes, the smell of flowers on his form.

"I don't know," she answers honestly.

Odin casts a look her way, "N-No mind tricks right now?"

Shrugging, Ava leans forward, placing her face in her hands, claws scathing the tips of hair, "Guess not."

Blowing out plumes, wafting up toward the darkening sky, Odin takes the reprieve, managing to forget she's there after a while. Soon he descends back to the earth, tongue heavy from the layer of death coating it. He doesn't talk, hoping it'll stay quiet, both in and out of his mind.

Glancing at her, Odin notes the calm expression on her face, gaze searing the stars over them, as though they're not already burning. Leaning back, he stares for a while.

"It's nice outside," she murmurs finally.

He hums his agreement.

"So… have you really never kissed anybody?"

Odin holds back the urge to snap, "W-What did I tell you?"

"I know it's not my business," Ava says evenly, still gazing at the sky, "But I'm curious,"

"H-Have you?"

She jolts, "What?"

Tilting his head to the side, he stares at her, expression deadpanned, "Have _you_ e-ever kissed anyone?"

Ava removes her gaze from him, scanning the ground for lies to use as answers, turning to the stars when she finds none.

"No," she states truthfully, "And I probably never will now,"

Furrowing his brows, he gazes at her, bemused, "W-Why?"

Her laugh is bitter, "You're a lot dumber than you look if you're asking me that,"

Odin shrugs, used to being insulted, "You d-don't know. You might find s-someone who's into the whole flaming g-goat thing,"

Ava flushes, "I am not a 'flaming goat'!"

"C-Could've fooled me."

Arms crossed, Ava arrogantly raises her chin, "You're such an asshole."

"You w-wanted to kiss this asshole," he reminds her.

"Yeah, I don't know why,"

Odin pauses his movements, slowly turning to look at Ava, "You… actually w _-want_ to kiss me?"

Her cheeks are hot, though she averts her gaze, "I said yes already… but I really don't know why,"

"I t-think you're just lonely."

She tenses, hands tightening their grip.

"Or you're b-bored. Could be anything."

Ava sighs, thinking of heated muscles twisting underneath, gnarling under her touch, leaving her breathless.

Swallowing hard, Ava thuds her forehead against her arms, fighting back the urge to yell in frustration. Angling her head, her eyes lock onto Odin's, his gaze intense.

"Y-You okay there?"

"No," she murmurs, "I don't know what's with me,"

Shaking the remnants of leaves out of the bowl, Odin slips it back into his pocket and he knows she's watching the movement closely. The look in her eyes isn't something he's foreign to. He's felt it, for people he's briefly seen, or imagined, just to feel a little less worthless, or to pretend he was somebody besides himself.

"I'd be careful," she suddenly says.

Turning to face her, Odin watches her eyes flicker to his lips.

She's not human.

A bit of him twists, revulsion welling up in his throat, thinking of the monster he knows is there, always there to make his existence miserable.

But he knows the girl he met is under there, somewhere, lonely. He understands what that feels like. Too, he knows no one will ever love him. He looks human, but he's not that either.

Odin tilts his head, leaning forward.

Ava blinks, heart thundering inside her chest—he's trusting her.

Licking her lips, tongue scraping jagged rows; second thoughts jab.

"We d-don't have to—" Odin tells her smoothly.

"No, I _want_ to!"

His eyes widen a fraction, her insistence suddenly making him nervous. He didn't think she was that serious, and why him anyway?

"Gimme a minute…" Ava whispers, inhaling deeply. Slowly, she gathers her mind together, planting her palms on the grass, wilting beneath the hotness. Odin steadies himself, eyes shutting, feeling the growing fever approaching him.

Her lips brush his, faint, it _burns_ —

Odin jerks back slightly, "Whoa,"

Ava stares up at him, "What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, I guess I didn't expect you to b-be so…"

"So…?"

"Hot," Odin tells her.

Flushing, Ava pouts, leaning back, "I can't help that,"

"W-Why are you moving away?"

She glances at him, the forest, then back, "You wanna try again?"

"Up to y-you," he says.

Ava frowns, unsure of herself. She shouldn't have asked.

"…B-But yeah I wanna try a-a-again,"

She's surprised to see his face blushing brightly, to the tips of his ears, hands gripping his knees tightly. Ava gives a short laugh, somehow flattered, and he glares at her.

"What's so f-funny?"

"It's not anything," she lies, brushing hair behind ear and horn, shifting her upper body. Kneeling toward the boy, head tilting back, she watches how his eyes close, mouth parting slightly when she presses it gently against his.

Odin's brows furrow. Strange, it doesn't burn like before. Still hot but it doesn't shock him. He opens his eyes, Ava holding herself in place.

Now what?

Lightly clearing his throat, Odin's hand rises to the back of her head, curving around the base of the skull, fingers drawing through flames. She shudders, not tearing her gaze from his.

Moving forward, Ava molds her mouth over his, pushing firmly before pulling back and repeating the action. Odin inches nearer, lips roving over hers, listening to her breathe, gentle gasps on his chin. Growing bolder, his free hand lifts to her face, thumb caressing the cheekbone as they keep it a steady pace.

He moans, the sound loud in her head. Palms on his chest, she drags him in, intensifying the kiss. Odin's huffs are quick, his hands gliding through her hair, groaning into her. Ava's hand slides against his head, claw scathing the bottom of his ear, moaning in between kisses, suddenly fast, pace dizzying from the heat; their noses bumping against each other's, she dares to open her mouth, bitter cinders the first taste she perceives, his tongue briefly darting in—

Hissing, Odin groans under his breath.

"Sorry," she utters.

"D-Don't be," he tells her before shoving his mouth back onto hers.

Groaning deeply, Ava slides hers past their teeth; he shivers against her. Panting, she feels his hands rove down her back, tingles moving up her skin. She pushes him to the ground, straddling his hips.

Odin gulps, stunned though he forgets the moment she leans down to kiss again, sighing. Her breathing huffy, Ava stretches over his frame, claws scraping lightly over his scalp, causing him to moan, a different sort of fogginess drifting over his mind.

Her body is warm, his skin sweltering, and he can't even think to be self-conscious, her knees locked on either side of his waist, gasping for air. She lightly nibbles his lip, pinpricks on slowly bruising skin; even that leaves them tasting iron.

"Whoops," she exhales.

"I d-don't mind at all,"

"Really?"

"N-No, just come b-back down here," Odin expresses, voice rasping, hands sliding up her arms.

Bowing closer, her face hovers over his, "Where would I be?"

"I dunno… s-somewhere," he mumbles, "It f-feels like you've left me before,"

Ava hums, placing a chaste kiss over his lips, "That's silly,"

"'Cause we haven't k-known each other long enough or—?" Odin begins, breath hitching in his throat when she grinds down.

"Because I wouldn't leave this spot for anything," she mutters into his throat, tongue slipping over the pulse. Odin moans, fingers wandering fervently down her body, raising his hips into hers. They both whimper, Ava swiftly pushing into something hard and this is it, what's been bothering her for so long—the constant ardor in her thoughts, thinking of scorching skin and groans vibrating down her throat into her chest.

Panting, her moans go past his lips, feeling his arms tug her to his chest, rapidly gaining rhythm, the friction causing his back to arch, lightly crying out, her teeth skimming his throat.

"Ava…" he breathes, palm settled against her ribs.

"Yes?" she whimpers, fingers scraping through dark hair.

"Stop this."

She halts her advances, withdrawing slowly, "What?"

"Stop this," he tells her, propping himself up.

Ava narrows her eyes, "You changed your mind?"

"What are you even doing?"

Getting off him, Ava rocks back on her heels, regarding him carefully, "I was doing what I thought we agreed to,"

"No, I mean what are you doing with this boy?"

It takes a few moments to register the question before it dawns on her.

"Pedri,"

"Yes, it's me."

"You possess Odin?"

"I can rarely take over him anymore," the demon rumbles, "But I do. And you need to cease what you're doing,"

Ava haughtily crosses her arms, "I can do whatever I feel like,"

"My love, please," Pedri urges, taking her hand, "This boy isn't me—"

Ava snatches her hand back, "I am not your wife,"

Odin's eyes narrow to slits, voice laced with loathing, "Where is Wrathia?"

"Gone, I don't know,"

"What do you mean _gone?_ " he snarls, quickly rising to stand over her.

Easily, she does the same, glowering at him, "I don't know. I drank that potion like she said, and it's been quiet in my head since. Good riddance."

He reaches out to yank her by the wrist, "Two souls merged together like this, one cannot just dissipate—she's in there somewhere,"

"It matters little to me where she is right now," Ava spits, shoving him roughly away, "But tell ya what, when or _if_ I get word from her, I'll go near Odinand say it."

"How do I know you will? Lesser vermin like you rarely keep their word,"

"Well, you'll just have to wait until then. Get out of him. _Now_ ," Ava commands.

Baring teeth, Odin's body heaves forward, grunting from the release. He rubs his forehead, feeling sick.

"You alright?" she asks, stepping toward him.

"Y-Yeah," he says, "I think… I'm okay,"

"I hate when they do that,"

Odin grunts his assent, blanching.

"You look paler than usual,"

"W-Wow, I wouldn't have guessed that,"

"Don't get snippy with me,"

"He just h-hasn't possessed me in a while," Odin informs her, shakily taking the pipe from his pocket, fumbling for the lighter.

Ava reaches out, clasping his arm to steady it.

"Th-th-thanks," he states.

"Hm-hmm."

Dragging a large swallow of ash and smoke, harsh and hot, Odin emits it carefully into the atmosphere.

"I didn't know you had Pedri,"

Odin snorts in revulsion, "P-P-Practically forever w-with this asshole. Of c-course he'd ruin m-my first make-out s-session too,"

Ava laughs heartily, "So I _am_ your first kiss?"

Blowing out a ring, Odin looks at her, "I am y-yours too,"

She smiles sheepishly, "Guess you are."

"T-Too bad we were i-interrupted,"

Ava shifts her eyes over to him, glancing up, "Your lips are bruised,"

He shrugs, "They'll g-get better eventually,"

"The others might notice,"

"I s-smoke, I'll blame it o-on that,"

Ava stares at the darkness overhead, "Was it bad?"

"N-No."

She smirks, "Not even when I bit you?"

"I actually l-liked that part best," he admits, color rising to his cheeks.

Snorting, Ava bursts into giggles, "Maybe I'll bite you more next time then,"

"N-Next time?" he rasps.

"If you want, I mean," she says hurriedly.

"I t-thought it was a o-o-one-time thing,"

Ava's gaze alters to the trees, "I suppose it would be weird to continue,"

Odin nods, inhaling more smoke.

Sighing, Ava spins on her heel, "Well, can't be helped."

They stand in the quiet, brooding.

"Good night, Odin,"

"N-Night," he bids her without watching her go.

Her hands clench into fists, it was foolish to think he might want to do it again. She reckons she should be lucky she got that far, with the way she appears and everything. It explains everything too–why she finds him attractive, it all goes back to her. Damn Wrathia.

Odin waits until he no longer hears her footsteps. Sharply, he puffs out a waft of smoke, violently torrent in the air, cheated by his demon, "Fuck you, Pedri."


End file.
